While cotton grows on the farm, it faces many predators including aphids and caterpillars. When farmers first realised that these bugs were eating the cotton they used harmful insecticides that killed all the aphids and caterpillars but it also killed the natural predators to aphids which are lady bugs. A new “self-defence” gene was put in the cotton to kill the caterpillars, the insecticides were used less and lady bugs returned to their place in the cotton industry, as the ones who kill the aphids. They are a significant part of helping the cotton grow and do the plant no harm in the process and this is why they deserved a place on our cow.
Lady bug in action |
This is a swarm of Lady Bugs on a branch
And this is the start of our swarm... still have a few to go!
Henry's leg now covered in lady bugs! |
Beginning stages of our lady bugs... |
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